OOTS #1097 - The Discussion Thread

[aurilee]

Or a Greyview smilie? I'd use that one with some frequency.

Greyview and Blackwing do have smileys here:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...-Stick-Smilies

You have to insert them as an image (instead of just clicking through the smiley menu), but they do exist.

[2D8HP]

Greyview and Blackwing do have smileys here:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...-Stick-Smilies

You have to insert them as an image (instead of just clicking through the smiley menu), but they do exist.

Thanks!

"Yes! Good. Learning is happening."

(I've already made use of that thread, for my Sig etc., but your kindness towards those who may not have known deserved a shout out)

[aurilee]

Thanks!

"Yes! Good. Learning is happening."

(I've already made use of that thread, for my Sig etc., but your kindness towards those who may not have known deserved a shout out)

Yeah, I wish that thread was stickied.

After getting a message from someone asking about the Greyview in my sig, I made the smiley into a link in the hopes it would help point people in the right direction. Not sure how many people would think to hover their mouse over an emoticon to see if it would go anywhere, but hopefully it's helped someone.

[Jasdoif]

Odin is, at best, playing a dangerous game.

Dungeons & Dragons?

[Runeclaw]

It's a reference to Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse, Loki's son and Odin's mount (as well as nephew).

I wouldn't say Sleipnir is Odin's nephew. Odin and Loki are not related, except as 'blood brothers'.

[Dr.Zero]

"I see worlds within worlds and yarn winding yarn."

Indeed it was a nice hint.

Good strip and good development.

[KorvinStarmast]

You have to insert them as an image (instead of just clicking through the smiley menu), but they do exist.

Thanks.


Post smilie, get treats.

As to yarns within yarns, sounds like a story that a sailor in a story tell.

[Ruck]

While this thread is going in the direction that "Odin sent Durkon to OotS to save the world", but...
According to Tarquin, the rule of narration will make sure that the OotS will get a cleric, one way or another. So, even without Odin's prophecy, the OotS will get Dukela Silvershield/Veldrina/Hilgya instead. So, if Odin is all-knowing, isn't it's fine doing nothing? Like that Oracle, because the story will have a happy ending, so he doesn't really care about messing around with his prophecy.

One of the themes of the last book is that Tarquin is wrong about the kind of story this is.

[danielxcutter]

One of the themes of the last book is that Tarquin is wrong about the kind of story this is.

Indeed. Tropes do play a major part in how the OotSverse works - but they don't bend backwards for him, not like he thinks.

That being said, I do suppose his knowledge of them is indeed part of the reason why he's so dangerous in general.

[alwaysbebatman]

Tarquin is wrong that he is the primary antagonist and his son the primary protagonist. He isn't wrong that the Order won't go on to the next book without a healer, whether that be by resurrection or replacement.

[8BitNinja]

I've never heard this twist. All the retellings I've heard suggested that Loki stayed humanoid and gave birth while male, because divine pseudobiology.

This raises so many questions for me. I am 90% certain that I don't want to hear the majority of those answers, because they would just raise more questions.

[factotum]

He isn't wrong that the Order won't go on to the next book without a healer, whether that be by resurrection or replacement.

At this stage, it's impossible for us to be certain about that--prophecy doesn't work as well in the real world as it does in stories.

[Goblin_Priest]

Indeed. Tropes do play a major part in how the OotSverse works - but they don't bend backwards for him, not like he thinks.

That being said, I do suppose his knowledge of them is indeed part of the reason why he's so dangerous in general.

Tarquin... him dying off-screen would be so frustrating and satisfying at the same time.

[Mad Humanist]

Tarquin... him dying off-screen would be so frustrating and satisfying at the same time.

This could so easily happen. It would only take one panel to say that some scouting party from the resistance movement found him in the desert, that he received a quick trial and execution. It would of course imply other things that would be reveals but it could happen.

[magic9mushroom]

Giant: Belkar says "a criteria", which should be "a criterion" since it's singular.

[Keltest]

Giant: Belkar says "a criteria", which should be "a criterion" since it's singular.

I feel like misuse of grammar would be perfectly in character for Belkar.

[Quebbster]

Giant: Belkar says "a criteria", which should be "a criterion" since it's singular.

...doesn't sound like something Belkar would be aware of. An in-character error, if you will.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Prophecies working isn't my worry - it's them being misinterpreted or overlooking gaps that I think makes Odin's game dangerous.

Tiamat is a perfect example - her own oracle gave V the prophecy that led to incalculable numbers of her children being murdered. She seemed to be pretty angered/blindsided by that event despite her own follower predicting all the events that led up to it. In short, she "saw it coming" in such a way that she did not at all see it coming. Odin is probably smarter, but Tiamat's oracle was pretty smart too. What might they be missing?

Agency? What makes you think the gods have direct control over what prophecies get told? If anything, I'd say that the two prophecies we're discussing are direct evidence against that.

I wouldn't say Sleipnir is Odin's nephew. Odin and Loki are not related, except as 'blood brothers'.

...Wouldn't that make Sleipnir Odin's "blood-nephew"?

This raises so many questions for me. I am 90% certain that I don't want to hear the majority of those answers, because they would just raise more questions.

It's a myth about a god turning into a mare to seduce a super-horse to the god's buddies don't have to pay the super-horse's owner the price they promised to pay if he did the work he did. What do you expect?

[Throknor]

This could so easily happen. It would only take one panel to say that some scouting party from the resistance movement found him in the desert, that he received a quick trial and execution. It would of course imply other things that would be reveals but it could happen.

Maybe if he wanders out on his own again since Laurin already sent him home.

[Mad Humanist]

Maybe if he wanders out on his own again since Laurin already sent him home.

D'oh. I just failed the OOTS trivia quiz.

[Riftwolf]

Tarquin is wrong that he is the primary antagonist and his son the primary protagonist. He isn't wrong that the Order won't go on to the next book without a healer, whether that be by resurrection or replacement.

If this was a write-up of a D&D campaign, then yes. However, it's plausible that the Order will go into the Xykon fight without one. How will that work? Guessing they'll just have to fight smarter.

[Svata]

They HAVE a healer. His name's Elan. He's not nearly as good at it as Durkon was, but he's what they've got. And hey, he can give buffs and do pun-duels too. So that's fun.

[alwaysbebatman]

Man, a new comic posted and I had no idea people were still talking about something I said in the previous comic's reaction thread. (Specifically, disagreeing.)

Suffice it to say, I believe it's safe to say that the Order won't go into their climactic fight without either a resurrected Durkon or an exciting new member with a similar level of divine-casting ability.

[factotum]

And I think that's because you're seeing this like a D&D campaign rather than a story. Stories don't need to have tank, healer and DPS.

[alwaysbebatman]

And I think that's because you're seeing this like a D&D campaign rather than a story. Stories don't need to have tank, healer and DPS.

No, I'm seeing this as a story, specifically a story where narrative devices and tropes are acknowledged as a powerful force [I]within[/¡] the story. Tarquin was right about that part.

I don't even know what "DPS" even stands for, but I know that in a team adventure, if one of the core team falls away, they either come back, or they are replaced by a new character who fills their role.

[Jasdoif]

And I think that's because you're seeing this like a D&D campaign rather than a story. Stories don't need to have tank, healer and DPS.

I'm thinking along the lines of "Will they have the luxury of giving Xykon/HPoH extra time to do Gate stuff if a viably-leveled divine caster isn't readily available," myself.

[Kish]

I don't even know what "DPS" even stands for, but I know that in a team adventure, if one of the core team falls away, they either come back, or they are replaced by a new character who fills their role.

It stands for "damage per second." Annoying people in morepigs (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games) use it instead of "damage" even in cases where it makes no sense to care about damage per second, as such.

Rich is not going to introduce a new member of the Order for the seventh book out of seven, or even for part of the sixth and all of the seventh. Healer or otherwise.

[alwaysbebatman]

Rich is not going to introduce a new member of the Order for the seventh book out of seven, or even for part of the sixth and all of the seventh. Healer or otherwise.

I'd be surprised: a resurrection or a kinda-still-a-vamp-but-Durkon's-soul-is-in-charge-now kind of thing seem more likely.

But the Order going into the climax shorthanded, I would find that far more surprising.

[GreatWyrmGold]

It stands for "damage per second." Annoying people in morepigs (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games) use it instead of "damage" even in cases where it makes no sense to care about damage per second, as such.

I'd argue that the difference between raw damage and DPS (or damage-per-turn, or damage-per-round, or whatever nomenclature you prefer) is relevant. Being able to cast fireball once a minute versus magic missile as a move action is pretty significant; fireball deals more damage, but if you can cast magic missile 20 times as often, it's usually going to be more useful.